Combined bottle soaking, rinsing, and cleaning machine.



0. E. FELT.

COMBINED BOTTLE SOAKING, RINSING, ,829

AND CLEANING MAGHiNE.

APPLICATION FILED 001217, 1908.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

N Q06 9 5 a 96 m y .NWWF WW 0. E. FELT. COMBINED BOTTLE SOAKING, RINSING, AND CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.17,1908.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Illllllllll l lllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. FELT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED BOTTLE SOAKING, RINSING, AND CLEANING MACHINE. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Application filed October 17, 1908. Serial No. 458,181.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FELT, a

: citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illlnois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Bottle Soaking, Rinsing, and Cleaning Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

This, invention relates to improvements .in bottle soaking, rinsing and cleaning mechanisms, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved ma chine having these mechanisms combined and associated in a single machine equipped with means for carrying or advancing the bottlessuccessively to the different mecha nisms andthrough the machine.

Av further object is to provide improved means for intermittently advancing the bottles.

A further object is to provide an improved carrier for the bottles and improved means for preventing accidental displacement of the bottles from the carrier.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as 'will appear, the invention consists in the features. of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings; illustrating the em-.

bodiment of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved machine of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail top plan view of one of the members of the carrier or basket for holding the bottles. Fig. 3 is a side elevathe "tank above the surface of the ground or floor. A rinsing tank 14 may be supported by the soaking tank in any desired or suitable manner and is preferably somewhat smaller than the soaking tank.

J ournaled above and extending across the tanks 10, 11,'and 14 are a plurality'of intermittently rotated shafts 15, 16, 17 and'18, and secured for rotation with each of the shafts and adjacent their respective ends are sprocket Wheels 19, 20, 21 and 22. These sprocket wheels are located adjacent each side of the tank and constitute a movable support for-an endless chain or carrier 23.

Said carrier or conveyer is thus moved by the sprocketwheels or movable supports on each-end of the shafts and in consequence the chains comprising the endless conveyer will be spaced laterally from each other. The sprockets 19, 20, 21 and 22 furthermore constitute intermittently operated means for engaging the endless conveyer. Arranged within each of the compartments or tanks 10 and 11, preferably adjacent the bottom thereof, and below the respective sprocket ,wheels 19, 20 and 21, are sprocket wheels 24,

25, over which the endless chains or carriers 23 are adapted to pass, and similar sprockets 26 are also arranged within the tank 14 for carrying the flexible members 23 into the tank.

The sprocket wheels 19, 20, 21 and 22 are preferably arranged in the same horizontal plane and in tandem with relation; to each other, and an additional sprocket 27 cooperates with the sprocket 22 and is spaced any desired or suitable distance therefrom. This sprocket 27 is secured for rotation with a shaft 28 journaled in. a'

suitable support 29and the sprocket 30 over which the flexible member or chain 23 passes when it leaves the sprocket 27 is arranged below the latter. i

J ournaled in suitable supports 31, 32 adjacent the bottom of the tanks 10, 11, are shafts 33, 34, secured to which are sprockets the respective shafts and over these sprockets 35, 36, the flexible member or chain 23 is adapted to pass to be guided beneath the 35, 36., One ofthese shafts, is arrangedon each side" of the tanks and one sprocket wheel is secured adjacent each extremity of tanks. If desired, a sprocket 37 may be disposed intermediate the sprockets 30 and 36 for guiding the flexible member from one of the sprockets to the other.

With this improved construction it will be apparent that the endless chains or flexible carriers 23 pass over the various sprockets and are directed into the tanks 10, 11

and 14 for conveying the bottles which are preferably open through. one side of the member 38, as at 40. A member 41 having a plurality of apertures 42 is secured to the member 38 and s aced therefrom preferably by means of upr1ghts 43, any desired number of which latter may be provided and if desired an intermediate member 44 similar in construction to the member 41 may be secured in position by means of the uprights 43 which latter are adapted to pass through the intermediate member.

When the members 38, 44 and'41 are assembled, they may be spaced from each other any suitable distance according to the size or height of the bottle to be cleaned and when so assembled the apertures 42 in the members 41 and 44 will register with the respective openings 39 in the member 38, the

a ertures 39 being of a somewhat larger diameter than the apertures in the members 41 and 44 andinto these apertures 39 the body of the bottle 45 rests, while the apertures in the respective members 44, 41,

will surround the neck of the bottle. When the carriers or baskets thus formed are secured by their extremities to the respective endless carrier or chain 33, they will stand between the chains and when the bottles are in position therein, as shown in Fig. 1, the latter will be held in an inclined plane with respect to the horizontal. When the bottles are placed in position and the endless chains .or carriers 23 are advanced the bottles will be carried first into the tank 10 and around the rocket 24. During this movement through the tank 10 they will be held in an inclined position with respect to the horizontal, thereby permittin the cleaning or soaking liquid in the tan to readily enter the bottle. As the bottles pass from the tank 10 they will be held in an inclined position with their mouths extending downwardly so that as they leave the tank the liquid therein will be discharged and Wlll flow back into the tank. If deslred, suitable bafiie or deflector plates 46 may be provided I 1,oas,aee

for directing the fluid back into the tanks 10 and 11. After the bottles pass from the tank 11 in the same manner as from thebers or chains 23 and against which the bottoms of the bottles are adapted to move as they pass through the tanks.

Arranged adjacent the tank 14 and preferably intermediate the sprockets 22, 27, is a cleaning apparatus designated generally by the reference numeral 48, the specific construction of which forms no part of the present invention. This cleaning apparatus preferably comprises a support 49 movable between suitable guides 50 by means of a suitable operating cam 51 to which motion is imparted in any desired or suitable manner. Projecting above the support 49 are a pair of uprights'52 which pass through suitable guides 53 and a member 54. The extremities of the uprights 52 are preferably provided with enlargements 55 beyond the I bottles are adapted to rest when the bottles are in position in the cleaning mechanism.

As the bottles are advanced from the tank 14, they will pass under a suitable guide 60 which is arranged above the member 54 and when in this position, the elastic members 56 will cause the member 54 to move toward the mouths of the bottle so that the, cups 59 will pass thereover. When the movement of the member 54 is arrested by the contact of the cups 59 with the mouths of the bottles, the rotation of the cam 51 will raise the su port 49, members 54 and the'bottles 45 until the movement of the latter is arrested. A continued movement of the cam 51 in the same direction will shove the brushes or cleaning devices 58 out of the respective housings 57 to force the extremities of the brushes or cleaning devices into the respective bottles, and at the same time a similarbrush or cleaning device 61 will be forced between the bottles of two adjacent carriers or baskets. The bottles and the cleaning device will be held in their ad'usted positions until the cam 51 is rotate suficiently to permit thev member 49 to descend by gravity assisted by the elasticity of the flexible members 56 until the bottles have become seated in the baskets and a continued movement of the cam 51 in the same direction will permit the support 49 to descend sutficiently to cause the enlargements 55 on the uprights 52 to engage the member 54 and pull it downwardly against the tension of the elastic members 56 so that the cups 59 will disengage the bottles 45 torpermit the latter to be advanced one step. I I

A suitable brush 62 may be arranged adj acent the cleaning mechanism 48 and above the flexible members or carriers 23 so as to engage and clean the bottoms of the bottles 45 as they pass out of the cleaning device. After thebottles have passed beyondthe brush 62 they may be removed from the carrier in any suitablemanner.

Any suitable means may be provided for intermittently advancing the chains or flexible members 23 and the crates or baskets. For accomplishing this purpose in a suitable and efiicient manner, means are provided for imparting an intermittent rotation to the sprockets 19, 20, 21 and 22, said means comprising ratchet wheels 63 which are secured to one extremity of each of the shafts 15', 16, 17 and 18, and ratchet dogs 64 pivotally supported upon oscillating arms or members 65, whichlatter' are pivotally supported by one extremity adjacent the r'atchets 63'. v

Suitable connecting means or links 66 may be provided for cotiperatively connecting the free extremities of the arms 65 and an oscillatory motion may be imparted to the arms 65 by any suitable means, preferably by means of'a link 67 one extremity of which may be connected to the links 66 and the other extremity to a crank 68 which may be continuously rotated in any desired or suitable manner to produce a reciprocatory movement of the connecting means 66.

In order to pro rly determine the position of the bottles 1n the cleaning apparatus 48 and to assistin imparting an intermittent advancement to the chain or flexible carrier 23, there may be provided in the form ofa pair'of arms 69, each having a depending extremity 70. One of these arms is arranged above each of the fle'xible members or chains 23 so that the depending portion 70 thereof will engage the links of the chains and the other extremity of these arms being pivotally connected with; the reciprocated connecting means in any suitable manner, preferably at, the extremity of one of the arms so thatwhen the arm 65 is oscillated, a reciprocating motion will be imparted to the arms 69 so that during the forward movement of the arms 69, the extremity 70 thereof will engage the pivot pins of the links to assist the sprockets in advancing the chain and to properly deter- -mine the position of the bottles in'the cleaning device. During the movement of the arms 69 in the opposite direction they will ride over the pivot pins of the succeeding links and into another link so that when the arms 65 are again moved forward the arms 69 will again assist in moving the chains.

With this improved apparatus it will be apparent that a compact apparatus will be produced and one in which there 'is combined a plurality of mechanisms which 00- Y operate to produce a single result, thereby obviating the necessity of employing different machines for the different steps of cleaning and also the removal of the bottles from one'machine after one step and placing them into another machine for another step, and so on.

By the provision of an open frame. or crate for holding the bottles, it will be apparent that as the bottles are immersed and pass through the tank, the liquid will contact with and surround the outside of the bottle to thoroughly soak the labels there- 7 from, the open frame forming n0 obstruction for the liquid.

In'order that the invention might be fully understood, the details of the foregoing embodiment thereof have been thus specifically described, but

What I claim as new is: v

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a plurality of immersin tanks, of an endless chain conveyer, a p urality of sprocket wheels for movably supporting "the conveyer, each of said sprockets having a ratchet secured thereto, pawl-carrying arms oscillatable respectively about the axes of said sprockets,

a plurality of links connecting the outer ends of the pawl-carrying arms whereby said arms-are caused to operate in unison, a bottle cleaning device, and a registering arm-moving in unison with the pawl-carrying arms and engaging the links of said conveyer to cause the bottles to register with said bottle-cleaning device. v

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a plurality of immersing tanks, sprockets mounted within said tanks, sprockets above the tanks, a ratchet lever for each of the latter said sprockets, a plurality of alined links connecting the outer ends ofsaid ratchet levers, means'for imparting a reciprocatory movement to said links, an endless conveyer supported by said sprockets,'said conveyerhaving a horizontal portion extending from' the last ratchet lever, a bottle cleaning mechanism arranged below said horizontal portion, and a registering arm pivotelly t-wo subseribin witnesses, on this 9th day connected to the last ratchet level, said arm of October A. 1908. being provided with an extremity adapting it to engage the links of the endless con- CHARLES FELT 5 veyer. Witnesses: I

In testimony whereof I have signed my J JOCHUM, J12,

name to this specification, in the presence of MQW. GANTWELL. 

